The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-27
60 BODIES RECOVERED
AND MANY MORE SUPPOSED TO
BE IN THE RUINS.

Searching the Ruins of the Opera
Comique for the Bodies of the Vic
tins-One Estimate Places the Loss
of Life at 118-Scenes of Sadness and
Horror.
PARIS, May 26.-The bodies of the ballet
dancers who lost their lives by the burning
of the Opera Comique last night are lying
in heaps in the ruins of the theatre. The
firemen assert that many bodies are lying in
the upper galleries The number of persons
killed greatly exceeds the previous estimates.
An excited crowd surround the ruins, which
are guarded by military Gordon. Many
distressing scenes are witnessed.
RECOVERING THE BODIES.
Up to 2 o'clock this afternoon twenty
bodies, in a terribly mutilated condition, had
been recovered from the ruins The remains
were principally those of the ballet girls,
cboristers and machinists Five of the
bodies are those Of elderly ladies, and one of
them is that of child. The firemen low
cred some of the bodies from the fourth story
of the theatre by means of ropes.
CHASTITY SEARCH.
By o'clock this afternoon twenty more
bodies had been recovered, and later this
afternoon the bodies of eighteen ladies, all
in full dress, were found lying together at
the bottom of the staircase leading from the
second story.
CowARpLY ESCORTS.
These ladies all had escorts to the theatre,
but no remains of men were found any
| where near where the women were burned
to death.
FALLING WALLS STOP THE WORK.
The walls of the theatre began falling this
evening and the search for the bodies had to
be abandoned for the day The remains of
three men and two women were found in a
| stage box, where the victims had taken
| refuge from the flames. 1t is ascertained
| that many bodies lie buried in the debris in
| the upper galleries, from whence their escape
was exceedingly difficult.
LATE MOVE.
| The government proposes to close several
| of the Paris theatres because of the de-
| ficiency in the exits. The library attached
| to the theatre was entirely destroyed with
all its contents, including many valuable
scores. Six thousand costumes were burned
| in the wardrobe.
PARIS, May 26, P. M.-The work of
searching for the bodies was resumed to-
night and a number were exhumed. The
official statement says that fifty bodies have
already been recovered.
M. Reveillon, a Deputy, speaking in the
Chamber of Deputies this afternoon, esti-
mated that at least 200 persons lost their
lives in the fire.
NARROW ESCAPE OF OFFICERS
Among the audience at the Opera Comique
last night were Gen. Boulanger, Gen. Saus-
sier, Gen. Thibaudin, M. Goblet, NJ Berthe
lot, Marquis Ferronays and the Prefect of
| Police. They all escaped unhurt. An ar
tist named Philippe performed prodigies of
valor in saving life. He mounted ladder
| three times and saved three danseuses after
they had been abandoned by the fremen.
| CRAzED BY FRIGHT
In the Rue Favant a sudden gust of wind
| cleared away the dense smoke, when a
woman and two men were seen standing in
an angle of the uppermost cornice. The
woman tried to jump, but the men pre-
vented her. When all were finally rescued,
the woman was a raving maniac.
M. Singer had a miraculous escape from
the dressing room in an angle at the top Of
| the building. He says that the wind
kept the flames off that part of the
building and a river Of molten lead
poured from the roof, the course of
which he diverted with board to prevent
its weight carrying down the shaky floor.
PUBLIC MIND is cRAzED.
The officials are endeavoring to underrate
the loss of life. The large number of bodies
found has alarmed the public
BENEFITS FOR THE SUFFERERS.
Theatre Chateau de Eau announces per-
| formance for the benefit of the sufferers on
Monday.
| LARGE NUMBER MISSING.
| The Opera Comique was insured for
| 1000, ,000f The finding of the charred re-
| mains continues. The remains are recog-
nizable only by means of trinkets. To-day
| 156 missing have been inquired for by rela-
tives They are supposed to have perished
| in the flames The bottom of the theatre is
flooded with water to the depth of five feet.
| Sixty bodies have been found floating in
the water by the firemen.
AID FOR THE SUFFERERS.
The Chamber of Deputies has voted a
credit of 200,000f. for the relief of the suf-
ferers by the Opera Comique fire.
HOW THE PANIC OCCURRED.
Eve witnesses of the fire confirm the state
| ments that there was no panic until the gas
was extinguished. The occupants of boxes
and stalls were able to get their overcoats
4 and cloaks before leaving the theatre. The
sudden darkness caused confusion and the
stalrcases were soon choked.
| RoUBAIx's COTTON MILL BURNED.
The great cotton mill Of Parent e. Le
maire, at Roubaix, in the Department Of
the Due Nord, has been burned.